Marbled Gecko Christinus marmoratus

Lizards of Victoria series

Identification

The Marbled Gecko, Christinus marmoratus, can be distinguished by its large finger and toe pads and flat body, often with orange coloured specks on the tail. It has a snout vent length of up to 70 mm.

Marbled GeckoSource: Michael Kearney

Distribution and habitat

The Marbled Gecko is widely distributed throughout western and northern Victoria. It is common in Melbourne, but may have moved here after white settlement due to the transport of granite rocks from its natural habitats. It is an arboreal species and hides under the bark of trees, fallen timber or logs during the day.

Biology

Marbled Geckos mate in late summer to early autumn. The females retain sperm until fertilisation, which occurs in the late spring to early summer. They produce one clutch annually, containing two eggs.

I saw a dark chocolate gecko in suburban Werribee recently, a colour that I haven't seen before in any mainland gecko. It had a lighter barred pattern along its spine and tail, again not one that I have seen before. Can anyone throw any light on this?
Les Harris

I live in melton victoria and often find a chocolate brown coloured gecko here and have caught marbled geckos before which are clearly different i did some book research and discovered there is also a wood and a stone gecko found in victoria nobody seems to recognise

de
13 April, 2011 00:05

I absolutely love geckos and one just dropped off my sliding door inside my house and my cat seen it. The gecko went under my lounge, didnt want to leave him.accidently hurt him while moving lounge cant believe it so sad:(:(

Hi Ian, unfortunately we cannot confirm an identification without a photograph or specimen, our Herpetologist informs us that the Marbled Gecko is the only native species of gecko in the Melbourne/Werribee region.

I have two pet marbled geckos they both live in the same tank but one of them, still has half of his shedding skin that is stuck to him and its affecting his movement. He doesn't look to well so I have put him in a small, damp container is there anything I can do to make it come off easier? Thanks.

Eve
24 April, 2011 18:40

We just had one dash into our house in Reservoir. I'm now trying to usher it out, so it doesn't get patted or squeezed to death by my enthusiastic 5 year old. It already shed it's tail when he moved something to get a closer look... :-(

Hi Jo, we have asked the Live Exhibits Team and it seems that many reptile keepers house Marbled Geckos in sand and this has always been successful for breeding. The only possible problem with sand is the threat of impaction but this has never been observed by Museum staff and we haven’t heard of a case like this in Marbled Geckos. Remember that one end of the enclosure should be misted about every second or third day.

Jane and Charlotte and Maddy
20 December, 2011 18:49

We have found one in our letter box and one outside under a gum tree. It ran up Mum's arm when she picked it up and tried to move it off the lawn onto the garden.

“The Eastern(physignathus l. Lesueurii) and the Gippsland Water Dragon (Phyignathus i. Howitti) ...have been introduced into the Melbourne area, and visible populations have become established on the Yarra River, including sightings of Eastern Water Dragons at Studley Park and Gippsland Water Dragons from the Yarra in Warrandyte.”

We would say that your sighting near Eltham would be a distinct possibility.

Elizabeth
7 January, 2012 11:44

Have had two Marbled Gecko's in as many days living inside our house. In over 20 years of living in Altona Meadows have never seen them here before. One poor thing was in my ironing basket and I discovered it just in time before I put the iron on that item of clothing. Beautiful little things!!!!

Hi Coco, if the gecko is a regular visitor to your window are you able to try and get some images and email them to discoverycentre@museum.vic.gov.au It is much easier for our Herpetologist to provide identifications with an image.

We woke this morning to find a Marbled Gecko trapped in our kitchen sink in inner city Ballarat. Having never seen one before in our local area, I can only assume it came in via the drain and maybe had a long journey to reach daylight. Is it common for these lizards to enter drains and pipes?

It is more likely that it fell in from the wall or ceiling and couldn’t climb out of the sink. These geckoes are pretty common in suburban gardens and around houses. They are often seen hiding in door frames, fire wood and under pot plants. This more likely than coming up through the drain.

I found one of these on my hallway carpet this morning. I've lived in melbourne my entire life and have never seen a gecko here - having arrived home from a holiday borneo a week ago, I was worried it was something I'd brought home in my luggage - glad it wasn't ;)
While I was looking at it, my dog ran up and tried to eat it. Thankfully, he spat him out immediately and the little fella was able to escape!

Hi Sean, Crickets that are being kept as food animals need a good diet, as the health of your geckos can depend in part on the health of the crickets. Some breeders 'gut-load' their crickets with high-protein food a few days before feeding them off, as the extra protein is then passed on to the geckos. Other breeders 'calcium-load' their crickets with calcium powder, but this is most useful for frogs rather than reptiles. Both of these loadings are not essential for your geckos.

A good diet consists of a mix of whatever hard vegetables are available (e.g. carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin), softer vegetables (eg apples) and greens (e.g. lettuce, cabbage, endive) as well as dry dog or cat food. You can vary it over time and each component is not essential for every feed, but a mixture of foods will always be better than one type of food alone.

I found what I believe to be a Marbled Gecko in my garage in Sale. Unfortunately, because of the time I spent retrieving it from under the tyre of the car I was about to move, I didn't take a photo and can't get it verified. Could it be a natural dweller in this area or could it just be an escapee?

Hi Adrian, according to our Live Exhibits team here at Melbourne Museum, Marbled Geckos do best on a range of live insect food, such as cockroaches, mealworms and crickets. Any insects caught around the backyard would be suitable, otherwise those above can be purchased at many pet shops. The enclosure should be regularly misted so that the humidity stays around 75%, but a shallow dish of water is necessary as well.

I was really surprised to find a marbled gecko hiding in our first floor balcony door frame this afternoon. I went to fetch my camera but it scuttered away before I got back. Beautiful creature though. I never knew we had geckos in Port Melbourne.

we found one of these gecko's at kinder today - we are on the second floor of a building though, so i guess he hitched a ride with someone! we are planning to keep him for a day or two and then release him, we have him in a fish tank - should we keep him inside or outside?

Marbled Geckos happily live inside homes around Melbourne and they will readily inhabit multistorey buildings including in the roof space.

So they're very comfortable inside as well as outside. In Victoria you don't need a licence to keep a Marbled Gecko but it's illegal to collect them from the wild (which includes inside buildings). If you leave it where it is, it will retain its freedom whilst still being visible from time to time.

There is only one species of Marbled Gecko, called Christinus marmoratus, however they can vary in appearance. Another possibility is that your new lizards are not Marbled Gecko's. You are welcome to send photos to us via our Identification form, and we can determine what you have!

Thanks for that I have sent through the identification form just before, now that I have taken pics I am sure I didnt get marble geckos I really do hope you guys can work out what they are. If you can't can you please let me know how I should find out what they are?

Hi there, just found one of these guys this morning hiding behind some files on my desk! As I live with three indoor cats I 'rescued' him and have him in a ventilated Tupperware container at the moment... Where would be the best place to release him? If he's been happily living inside for a while I don't want to throw him out, although perhaps he only came inside to escape the recent deluge of rain overnight. Not sure whether to put him back indoors where I found him (and hope the cats don't discover him) or let him out into our courtyard/garden, where hopefully he can get away from the cats if they do seek him out! What would you suggest?

Hi Mere,We forwarded your enquiry to Museum Victoria's Live Exhibits team, the Museum's animal keepers, who provided the following information:

Marbled Geckos are a native species that have adapted well to human habitation. They are equally happy living amongst rocks in the garden or inside the walls of a house, emerging through wall vents at night to pick off insects around the home. The main danger to Marbled Geckos are cats and door jams. You can release the gecko outside the house and it will either remain outside or re-enter the house in its own time. The best time to release it is at night when the gecko is most active, and try to keep the cats away from it for a few hours to give it time to find its own space.

Sexxi Gurl
13 June, 2012 14:17

Are marbled gecko's invertebrates???????????????

Discovery Centre
13 June, 2012 15:00

Hi,No - Gecko's are vertebrates, which means that they have a back bone. You can read more about invertebrates on the Australian Museum website.

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Kardo nunja
21 June, 2012 15:39

HeY not sure if this is the right place to post it but earlier on we came accross a lizard whilst cleaning a box out, unsure of the breed it doesnt have a blue tounge as far as I know as it hasn't stuck it out. It's hissed at me an has a dark scaley skin no real pattern also has strong legs an really grabby claws any information would be greatly apprichated photo here imageshack.us/photo/my-images/513/lizard.jpg/

Hi Kardo,Unfortunately the link to the image you provided does not work. It would be best if you submit the image and information about the lizard you saw through our Ask the Experts page, where we have a free identification service.

Lia Taylor
20 August, 2012 15:46

I am lucky enough to have a large "family" of Marbled Gecko"s living in my shed. They are thriving in there, and breeding well as there are many egg shells scattered around. Obviously ideal for them :)

I just discovered a marbled gecko running across my bedroom floor! I'm in Macleod (between Heidelberg and Greensborough). I put it in a container for my 4yo and myself to watch for a while, and also gave me time to identify it. I think it was a fairly young one, the skin was a bit transcluscent. It's in the garden now, after we had a little bit of a play with it! (gently enough I think - it didn't drop its tail).

Have just found a marbled gheko in our house. In my 24 years in Altona Meadows I have never seen a gheko and I delight in finding 'wildlife' in my backyard - could this be a good sign that they are thriving?

Hi Dani, Marbled Geckos prefer live crickets to dead ones. They will occasionally eat dead crickets, but live crickets are fresher and therefore more nutritious generally, and the act of pursuing the crickets exercises the gecko's natural behaviours.

Any soft fruits such as bananas can be mashed up as food, but as geckos are basically carnivores the provision of insect prey is more important than fruit.

I found some thing white and round in my geckos tank today, unfortunately as I investigated it broke and I realised it must have been an egg. Inside was what looked like a fetus. As my gecko lives alone I wondered how this could be. And will she lay more eggs with or with out a partner.
We have had the gecko for about 18 months to two years.

Hi Mj - It depends entirely on which species of gecko you have. Whilst most gecko species require partners to breed, a few such as Bynoe's Gecko will readily produce young parthenogenetically (ie from unmated females). The gestation period of this species is not well known, but the incubation time for eggs is between 55-70 days.

We don't know of any gecko species that has a gestation period longer than a few months, so it appears your individual is able to reproduce parthenogenetically.

Mike
3 December, 2012 02:34

Just found a Marbled Gecko at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat tonite near the creek! First Gecko I've found in Vic at all! Pretty excited!

According to my research Asian House Geckos should not be found this far south (Melbourne) but the other night I spotted two juveniles of what seem to be exactly that. Have there been other reports of them here?

This page has just allowed me to identify two Marbled Geckos spotted on the verandah at my home in Kew. I was staggered to see these odd little creatures as I had never known there to be Geckos in Victoriam, but their padded feet were clear indicator.

Hi found a Marbled Gecko. I saw what looked like a tail, still wriggling,decided to look for its owner in case it needed help. The little fellow is dragging its right rear leg. Decided to give it a safe place to rest, hoping it will recover. Have put leaves, a couple of rocks and a container lid with water in it - all into a large shoe box. Sealed the lid onto box, and put about 90 odd tiny holes into the lid. Can he survive with only 3 functioning legs? he seems to move around pretty well. Thanks. Live in Canberra

Geckos can survive with three legs as long as any wounds heal and don’t become infected. Although Marbled Geckos are common and can be kept without a licence, it’s illegal to take them directly from the wild without a licence to do so. So whilst it’s thoughtful to take it into captivity and look after it, the gecko would be better off in the wild. Alternatively you could take it to a vet if you’re concerned about its health or welfare.

Renee
11 March, 2013 21:16

I have found a newborn Marbled Gecko in my kitchen this morning.
I have been to the local exoitc pet shop & have been advised not to have a water dish in the enclosure. I was also advised to give it calvin powder & a vitamin powder on the live crickets.
I have tried to get it to eat small crickets but with no luck.
Any suggestions on how I can help this beautiful little creature?

Marbled Geckos are able to look after themselves as soon as they hatch from the egg. Although this species is common and you can keep them without a licence, it's illegal to collect them from the wild and they must be purchased from a licenced breeder or pet shop. The best option would be to release it into the garden, particularly if it's not feeding in captivity. This species is well adapted to living in suburban areas and will find plenty of food and shelter outside.

I just came across a Marbled Gecko in my backyard, northern subs, Melb. it's the middle of winter and he was sitting on the brick wall next to the hot water system at around 10pm. I've lived around here my entire life and never came across a gecko. Drop tails I see all the time. here's a link to the photo I took. http://i0.wp.com/www.dirtydazz.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Gecko-in-back-yard.jpg

I've noticed my pet marbled geckos change colour, ranging from very pale blueish cream tones, to dark brown, and that their marble patterning gets fainter and stronger accordingly. I've not been able to find any reputable sources as to why this may be -- is it related to temperature?

Hi Sarah, there are a number of reasons Marbled Geckos change colour, the main one being temperature. They become darker during periods of cold to absorb more heat, and paler during warm periods to better cool off. The colour of the female can vary at the start of the breeding season, and also in response to predators or stress.

How geckos and other lizards do this is complex. Colour pigments, such as melatonin, are located beneath the skin expand or contract. The hypothalamus or pineal gland may trigger the colour change in response to a change in the gecko’s environment. This is a care sheet for the Marbled Gecko.

I think I just found a Marbled Gecko in our toilet in Broadmeadows. It was sitting their on the tiles. Never seen one in the 10 yeas we've lived in the house. Is it ok to touch them? I've put it in a large plastic jar with holes in the lid, put some grass and water in it so I can show the kids in the morning. May let it go after that.

Hi Adam - I hope your kids enjoy seeing your small visitor! Please be aware that it is illegal to collect creatures from the wild (including your toilet!) to keep as pets - releasing the gecko outside near where it was found would be appropriate.

joe
29 December, 2013 08:27

Found a very small gecko on the brick wall of the house outside around 9 o clock In the morning. I have seen larger ones of the same type before on the brick walls but at night only.
It it normal for them to come out in the morning sometimes?

My mum found gecko underneath our compost bin in the garden in Yarrawonga. It looks like the marbled gecko picture with similar patterns but the body is a lot paler. We will try and take a photo and send it in.

Just a question I have a marbled gecko and she can not climb glass I saved her form my cat and put it in an Enclosure where she does not want to leave as there is an opening at the back to allow her to come and go as she pleases but she is not able to clime up the glass (Windows or Enclosure)is this an issue or will she be fine I have been feeding her crickets and she has been eating and is very healthy but I do not want to let her go if she has an issue.

Hi Tomas, well done for rescuing the gecko from your cat. Domestic cats are one of the biggest killers of native reptiles around Melbourne. The best thing to do is either let the gecko go, or contact Wildlife Victoria, a rescue and rehabilitation centre, 13 000 9435.

Lyn M
11 April, 2014 13:00

Two adorable lizards climbing wisteria about 3 weeks ago and today, thanks to Herpetologist (Jane) who advised they were indeed marbled geckos. In all my years in Melbourne and nearly 30 years in my house in Ricmond, I have never seen such a spectacle. Will try to be careful in the garden from now on!

We have found a few since moving to Viewbank 18 months ago. Another today. All have been in the wood pile - we now lift each piece carefully. Such adorable creatures. We are gradually planting more indigenous plants and creating more rocky and scattered timber habitat for the them. Oh, and we have also had two blue tongues hanging about last summer. One large one stayed a couple of months. Nest project will be a small frong bog. Its great to have little natives visit and hand around.

I have 3 Marbled geckos and a skink living together and have had them for about 3 years. One of the geckos 3 of the feet missing. Will they grow back. should I separate it from the others it doesn't look as healthy as the others. Would it have trouble catching it's food with less feet.

In general it's not a good idea to mix reptile species, especially those that would not co-exist in the wild. They may have been living together for some time but circumstances within the enclosure may change without you being aware of it (the skink maturing, a gecko slowing due to a subclinical infection, etc). Quite often they live their entire lives without problems, but sometimes problems do occur and this can be the result. The feet won't grow back but the lack of feet shouldn't affect the gecko's ability to catch its food.

Isabella
2 October, 2014 22:36

I live I. Adelaide and I found a gecko and I have fed it ants and Beatles is that ok or do I have to feed them something eles

Geckos generally like a wide variety of insects such as ants, beetles, roaches, moths, butterflies, mosquitoes, leafhoppers, locusts and crickets. You need to be careful with live crickets and not leave them in the enclosure with the gecko for too long, because they may bite them! They also like mealworms and waxworms – this gives then some fat. It is a good idea to see that they have a calcium supplement, by dusting the insects that you feed them with, or by leaving a dish of calcium powder in their enclosure.

Guy
21 October, 2014 10:07

I have a lovely photo of a Marbled Gecko, that was in a flower pot in Diamond Creek.

Hi Ki - We can't give you urgent veterinary advice. You should take your gecko to the vet for assessment. All the best.

Natasha
13 March, 2015 11:53

Have loved reading all the comments. I had to do a little "Gecko" research, and this has been an invaluable site. Thanks for the information. Lovely to see so many people interested in these amazing creatures.